Heavyweight Eddie Sanchez added to Bellator's season-three tournament

Bellator officials today announced that the 28-year-old slugger has secured the fifth slot in the upcoming eight-man bracket.

Sanchez’s first opponent has yet to be determined.

Sanchez earned a respectable 3-3 record during his tenure with the UFC, but he was released in 2008 following back-to-back losses to Justin McCully and Antoni Hardonk. Sanzhez has bounced back with four-straight wins – a streak that includes a devastating 10-second knockout of Jay White under the Bellator banner in a non-tournament affair.

“I’m in a better place right now – mentally and physically – than I have been in years,” Sanchez stated in today’s official release. “I feel like I’m in the best shape of my fighting career, and more than anything, my head is right.

“I belong here in this tournament with the rest of the top heavyweight talent Bellator has put together. I’m going to the finale and I’m going to win this tournament.”

Bellator’s third season, which also features a bantamweight tournament and a 115-pound female bracket, kicks off Aug. 12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. As with previous Bellator events, season three airs live on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.
(Pictured: Eddie Sanchez)

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